Project Orange Krate - Tearin' It Down

In Preparation For A Soothing Chemical Strip, We Carefully Remove Essential Parts And Pieces From Our '71 Camaro Project.

When preparing to undertake any full build, ample research into the project before beginning your teardown is certain to make the long road ahead a smooth ride. With the development of the concept behind Project Orange Krate, its design, stance, colors, and attitude were nothing that came about overnight. Countless hours were spent imagining how the car would look as well as behave on the racetrack when duty called. This is why selecting many of the critical suspension components, which act as the spine of the car, as well as deciding on the right power combination, are critical. Giving yourself a time line to follow is important, as it will help generate where you hope to be in quarterly increments.

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Once the car was delivered to Peter Newell and the team at Competition Specialties in Walpole, Massachusetts, we knew it would only be a matter of time until the teardown commenced.

It's a good idea to have a digital camera handy to document all aspects of the build, especially when breaking the car down. When it comes time to reassemble all of the different brackets and hardware, these images prove critical. It's also recommended to have a number of Ziploc-type bags, tape, and markers on hand so you can bag and tag hardware as it's removed from the car so that locating the goods for reassembly is a snap.

To get started, our plan was to remove all of the frontend sheetmetal as well as the complete front subframe as a rolling unit and then gut the interior. Numerous items needed to be disconnected in preparation for the removal of the subframe: fuel lines, exhaust, shifter linkage, speedometer cable, throttle cable, driveshaft, rear brake lines, steering shaft, ground strap, wiring harness and miscellaneous clips, and ground wires. By retaining the subframe as a roller, moving the unit would be a breeze, since a majority of the powertrain components would be kept together and we could avoid keeping immobilized parts in countless boxes and crates. Since Project Orange Krate will be totally fresh when completed, this will generate a number of parts destined for eBay or swap meets to offset the purchase of new items.

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Let's follow along as Newell and his team get busy tearing down the car in preparation for its next step: a date with some stripper-chemical stripper that is!

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Project Orange Krate - Tearin' It Down

To get started, Newell opened the hood and prepared for its removal. Starting with the foremost bolt on the underside of the hood, he used a 9/16-inch socket and ratchet to remove it. This is something best done with at least one helper due to the weight of the hood and the balance required. To avoid any bowing or rocking, first brace the hood side with one shoulder, then remove all bolts, and finally lift it securely away from the car.

With Orange Krate in the hands of Peter Newell and his team at Competition Specialties in Walpole, Massachusetts, it was time to get busy and give the car a full teardown to assess all of the issues needing to be addressed for the build.

Next, team member Brian Jordan used an air-driven impact wrench topped with a 3/16 Allen socket to remove the custom billet core support braces from Twist Machine.

After reviewing everything under the hood, it was time to disconnect the battery and remove it from the car.

After using a Phillips head screwdriver to remove the headlight surround ring and headlight, Jordan proceeded with a specially designed headlight spring removal tool to extricate the headlight bucket. This is a good time to catalog your parts.

The removed parts seen here include the headlight, retainer ring, and headlight bucket, which could be cleaned up for use later or sold off to fund new parts. Note the wild angle of the spring removal tool for use in tight areas.

Jordan proceeded to remove the front bumper with a 9/16 socket and, with Newell's assistance, pulled the unit from the car.

In preparation to remove the lower valance, Jordan first disconnected the electrical wiring connected to the combination parking light/turn signal. He then used a 1/4-inch socket to remove the hardware securing the light into place and lifted it from the valance.

Next he removed the grille from the frontend.

The team then located and removed all of the header panel bolts using a 1/2-inch socket with either an impact wrench or ratchet, then lifted the body panel from the car.

Once the header panel was eliminated, Jordan had plenty of access to remove the lower valance section, completing the removal of the car's nose.

With the nose end of the car gone, take plenty of pictures at each step to assist you when the time comes to put the car back together. This is especially helpful when reconstructing inner body support brackets and wiring routing.

Jordan then focused on the removal of the fenders. To start, he pulled the rocker panel moldings using a Phillips head screwdriver and molding removal tool so as to not break any lower-rocker molding clips.

It's critical when disassembling a car to keep everything in order as it's removed. A quick stop at the supermarket will get you all of the tools you'll need including Ziploc-type sandwich bags in various sizes, masking tape, and markers. Trust me-you'll be thankful for this later on!

Once all of the bolts and shims were removed (including the ones under the fender and numerous ones in the wheelhouse area), it was a snap for Jordan to lift the fender from the car.

A number of areas need to be addressed to prepare for the removal of the rolling subframe, including disconnection of all ground wires from areas like the radiator support and subframe rails. At this time you will also need to pull back the wiring harness and carefully loop it up to prevent it from getting damaged.

Next, Newell removed the master cylinder from the power booster with a 9/16-inch wrench. He then disconnected the rear brake line and drained the fluid since the master cylinder will remain with the subframe when it's rolled away from the car's body.

Using a standard screwdriver, Newell then detached the throttle linkage.

The steering shaft was one of the last components disconnected prior to the subframe removal.

With the car jacked up and securely anchored in place on jackstands, Jordan began the final step in the removal of the subframe. Using an air-driven impact gun, he removed the 15/16-inch subframe anchor bolts and washers.

Newell placed a floor jack under the car and across the front crossmember for support prior to removing the bolts in the subframe. With Jordan making sure everything was clear, he slowly lowered the unit to the ground. It's a good idea to place a cup over the transmission output shaft to avoid fluid spillage.

These guys make it look so easy! Here, the rolling subframe is easy to manipulate once it's separated from the car. Now rolling it into a corner of the shop is easy until the remaining parts are needed.

Every picture tells a story and this one is no different. The car's original paint color is now visible (no, it didn't come stock with the trendy tribal flames), and it won't be long until the body is completely stripped clean for overall evaluation.

An initial examination of the firewall proved the front sheetmetal of the car is in really nice condition. With everything now gone, cleaning and preparation of the firewall for paint is simple.

With the seats taken out, Newell began removing the console using a Phillips head screwdriver. Once all of the screws were out, he disconnected the electrical lead and pulled the unit.

With the interior stripped and vacuumed clean, it was a perfect time to check out the floors. Despite plenty of moisture under the carpets, the floor pans are surprisingly free of corrosion.

Newell and Jordan knocked one out of the park completing the teardown in record time. Stay tuned as we'll dig deeper into the history of the car for the next issue. We'll chemical strip the entire body and all related exterior panels to see exactly what demons lie beneath and what kind of prep lies ahead.

Rust and corrosion are inevitable evils that must be dealt with before restoring your Camaro's body. This month's update on Project Orange Krate includes detailed pictures of the entire rust/corrosion removal process! Check it out and learn a few tips! - Camaro Performers Magazine. » Read More

This month, Project Orange Krate goes through the process of door panel restoration! If you're looking for the best way to restore your doors, check out this detailed tech article that will take you through the entire process! Pictures and details can be found at Camaro Performers Magazine. » Read More

Check out the latest from Porject Orange Krate and its chemical bath! Follow the steps and procedures of the entire chemical stripping process as it is done by our friends at Competition Specialties. Pictures and details of the process can be found at Camaro Performers Magazine. » Read More